The invention relates to an X-ray device which is provided with a storage arrangement for storing a number of sets of exposure parameters, each time one of which can be fetched for a subsequent X-ray exposure.
The use of a storage arrangement in which a respective set of exposure parameters for an X-ray exposure is stored for various organs has since long been known in field of radiography. According to such a so-called APR (APR=Anatomically Programmed Radiography) exposure technique, first exposure parameters for the X-ray generator are stored, for example, the voltage applied to the X-ray tube, the current through the X-ray tube or the mAs product. The advent of so-called digital image detectors has led to additional exposure parameters which are not intended for adjustment of the X-ray generator, for example, the dimensions of the exposure field to be exposed on the digital image detector or image processing parameters.
The advantage of such an X-ray device (known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,259,767) resides in the fact that for an X-ray exposure of the relevant organ the user merely has to fetch the set of exposure parameters associated with the relevant organ, after which the exposure parameters contained therein are automatically adjusted by means of appropriate adjusting means.
The user can change the exposure parameters fetched if the circumstances during the X-ray exposure deviate from the customary exposure situation. When this set of exposure parameters is fetched the next time, the original exposure parameters are supplied again. When the exposure parameters (generally set by the manufacturer of the X-ray device) basically are not optimal in the opinion of the user, the user has to change the exposure parameters each time when the relevant set of exposure parameters is fetched.
In order to avoid the necessity of such constant changing, the stored sets of exposure parameters can be modified by the service department of the manufacturer or, be it for given exposure parameters only, by the user. Considering the large number of sets of exposure parameters (contemporary X-ray devices can store as many as approximately 1000 different sets of exposure parameters), however, this is a rather cumbersome operation.